Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Review
The books and movies are loved by many, but praise for Harry Potter games has often been elusive. I was as disappointed by last year’s Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as most folks, so I’m happy to say that this follow-up has provided a small bit of redemption.
It’s obvious that EA Bright Light paid attention to complaints about the first Deathly Hallows, as they’ve cut the fat from its worst parts. Gone are the unresponsive Kinect missions and the pace-killing invisibility-cloak sections. The combat has been improved, too — there’s more strategy to the shooting, and you earn new spells during the narrative when you most need them, rather than at random moments.
The game still falls far short of modern shooters, and the boss battles often fail to add new gameplay tactics to the mix. But when the game rises to the occasion — like during the battle against giants, and in a sniping section set on a bridge — it’s a fine conclusion to the franchise.
On Xbox 360
- Better pacing and gameplay than Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
- Still a thoroughly average and repetitive adventure.
- Most of the final battles lack gravitas; the Battle of Hogwarts isn’t very epic.
- Who greenlit the idea of having TWO playable elderly ladies? Sigh.
